“Love Victor”s Anthony Keyvan Talks Growing Up in The Acting Industry, COVID, and More

Anthony Keyvan, an upcoming actor and California native, got his start in the acting industry at a young age with small parts in short and feature films. He started a climb toward success when he began guest starring on well known shows like iCarly, Grey’s Anatomy, and Law and Order: SVU.  

Since that initial success, he’s been featured in The Rookie on ABC and a ‘heavily recurring role’ in the Hulu television series Love, Victor, just to name a few. 

We had the pleasure and honor of sitting down with the upcoming star to talk about growing up in the acting industry, working during COVID, and much more!

Q: What compelled you to get into acting? What was your first encounter with the art/craft/business of acting?

AK: I had always been a performer growing up and loved the arts, and I’ve always loved cars so one day, I was probably five, my parents took me to the LA Auto show where we were approached by someone advertising an acting studio. At first, my parents were reluctant, but after hours of begging, my parents enrolled me. After a while I got my first commercial/print agent. The rest is history.

Q: What was it like/is it like to grow up in the entertainment industry?

AK: It’s really interesting growing up in the entertainment industry. For myself, I learned what it was like to work hard for something from a young age. I had to grow up pretty fast because I was working with adults most of the time. I’m grateful for my experiences and that I didn’t have a ‘traditional’ childhood.

Q: What has been your favorite role so far that you’ve played? 

AK: My favorite role so far has been Rahim on season 2 of Love, Victor.

Q: Who are your acting inspirations? Why?

AK: Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Joaquin Phoenix to name a few.

Q: What is your favorite medium to work in? TV? Film? Theater? 

AK: I love any chance I can get to act, but most of my experience comes from TV, so I think for now at least, my favorite medium to work in is TV by default. That being said, I really enjoy being on film sets and I hope I can do more of that soon.

Q: What was acting and auditioning like during the COVID-19 Pandemic? If you were on-set, what was that like?

AK: It was totally different. Auditioning now is doing a self tape at home and sending it in. There’s nothing in person so it’s hard to get that connection with a casting director, or receive notes and try again. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work throughout this pandemic and being on set is an entirely new experience. Every process/procedure has fundamentally changed to comply with COVID-19 restrictions and SAG requirements to keep us all safe.

Q: How do you approach a character/role technique wise? 

AK: I try to make a playlist of songs that the character would listen to to help me put myself in their shoes before a performance.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring actors? 

AK: My advice to aspiring actors is to focus on what you can control like preparing for an audition, handling rejection, developing your character, or learning your lines. Everything else is out of your hands.

Q: Where can your fans follow your journey? 

AK: My instagram is @anthonykeyvan. 

Interview Written and Conducted By: Charlie Kapinos

Charlie Kapinos- Entertainment/Movie Editor– Charlie is a sophomore in high school from Los Angeles, CA. He loves to write, take photos, help others, watch movies and TV. He hopes to work towards a career in journalism after high school and college.